Jo Ann Timberlake

Survivor since 2009

When I completed the NBCF Early Detection Plan form to start receiving mammogram reminders, I realized that I was past due on my periodic mammogram. I immediately called and made an appointment.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I received a phone call on a Friday afternoon with the diagnosis. I was told to visit an oncologist and my family physician. It was so late in the day that the doctors’ offices were already closed for the weekend, so I dove into the Beyond the Shock program on the NBCF website and spent Saturday educating myself. It gave me my sense of control back, and helped my husband and me get through that first weekend after the diagnosis.

I had invasive breast cancer that had broken out of the milk duct that it had initially formed in. I had a lumpectomy followed by radiation treatment. I was very blessed that the cancer had not affected my lymph nodes or spread beyond the region of the tumor in my breast. I didn't even have to face chemotherapy.

I am still cancer free and living my normal active life. I am so blessed!

About Beyond The Shock®

Beyond The Shock is a comprehensive online guide to understanding breast cancer.

It is a resource for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, a place for loved ones to gain a better understanding of the disease, and a tool for doctors to share information.

Beyond The Shock is a collaborative breast cancer guide created by the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. (NBCF) with the support of the finest medical experts, doctors, and researchers in the world. NBCF utilized ground-breaking technology and the resources of the global medical community to create an accessible platform for understanding a diagnosis of breast cancer.